Isabelle's POV

It felt like I was glued to my chair the entire day at school. I still didn't get to talk to Julius, and I didn't want to be noticed anymore, especially not after the incidences I have had recently with my grandma.

Yup, this morning I stomped all the way to school shoving my parents yells and scowls aside. Those two really thought I'd agree to this homeschooling thing, impossible!

I mean...seriously? They really thought I'd be so dumb enough to actually not go?

Pfft, right.

"Trust nobody...". A cold whisper kissed my ears.

Oof...not those voices again!

"Follow the black cat...".

Stop it!

"Make wise decisions".

Please!

"You must avenge!".

I said stop it!

"Whatever happens, I'd always be with you...".

"I said STOP!". I shouted involuntarily, holding my head in frustration at the tensed voices in my head. I regretted my action immediately because I happened to be in the middle of a history class.

A low growl from the front of the class caused everyone to face my direction abruptly. Everyone's stares were steadied intensely on me and I could feel myself shrinking, and wishing the floor could just give way and swallow me up this moment.

I can't take this anymore...

I need help or training or I don't know...

These voices are killing me!

"Miss Wintman, I do not like that kind of distraction here please!". The male teacher scolded, frowning deeply at me for disrupting his class. His favourite class of teaching that is, oops.

"I bet the demons are at it in her again, I'm I right?". Sandra mocked, making half of the class burst into laughter. Sandra wasn't my age mate and isn't supposed to be in my class either, but because of her repeated failures in the same courses, she ended up repeating the same class I was being promoted to.

"Excuse me?". I gritted through my teeth at the way she was only pissing me off more and more. "Your the she devil that is at it again!".

I didn't care if I was to act like a absolute nerd. Unlike other times, I'd cry myself out or ignore the she-devil, but the current situations only made me release my inner dog.

The class burst into gasps and gossips immediately, and with the stern look on my teacher's face, I knew I was in a lot of trouble.

"Detention!".

                                      ~*****~

Xander's POV

"No loitering during sessions!". I ordered, whacking the ground with my whip as a first warning to the stealthy students in the cafeteria. "Get to class all of you!".

I rubbed my temples patiently as the lurking students dashed out from their hiding places.

"Seriously dude, let's just thrash some sense into them!". Luke grumbled, swinging his whip across his shoulders with a wicked grin.

"That's just a first warning Luke, let them be for goodness sake". I chuckled at his desperation to whack one of the unlucky juniors. "I'm pretty sure we'd get a detention victim soon".

"Bro, those your instincts better be right this time". Marcus sneered from behind, wrapping his arms around our shoulders with a grin.

"Since when did my instincts ever let you guys down?". I raised an eyebrow. One thing for sure I knew is that, my instincts never lie.

"Fantastic!". Josh shouted with enthusiasm, pointing at a fast approaching figure. "Victim incoming!".

The student wasn't running from us, but was running towards us, which could mean one thing. "Wait, don't strike yet". I instructed them.

The petite student arrived at our front and greeted us hastily. "Master Alexander...the prefects...good afternoon seniors". It was obvious he didn't know the rest of their names, I'm I this famous?

"What's wrong?". I inquired, giving him a stern look. "Did something happen?".

He gave a small nod. "Mr Rogers needs your attention at the detention room".

"That's great! Let's-". Thomas started.

"Sorry sirs but he didn't really give a specific addressing of you guys in the situation". The boy politely said before running off. Turning back to my colleagues, I noticed the look that was currently settling on their faces.

"What? Don't give me that look, I had nothing to do with this". I raised my hand in surrender as they shot me a glare. "But you guys can tag along, I don't want boredom alone".

"In return, we get to plan on the oncoming prom?".  Thomas asked as we started heading for the detention room.

"Yes yes". I brushed him with a shrug. "We're here". I announced, staring at the metallic huge door before us. The one door that entertains nothing but trouble.

Twisting the door's knob to the left, the door gave way, revealing the supposed culprits.

"Isabelle?". I voiced out in an alarmed tone, taken back by the unexpected scene.

                                      ~*****~

Isabelle's POV

"I don't know what have gotten into you lately, but you're gonna stay in here for some sense talks". He spat with anger and slammed the door as he walked past the seniors.

Yeah, I got detention. I deserved it alright,  I mean...usual stuffs going on in my life.

But what wasn't usual was that Xander and the prefects were the one going to talk some sense into me!

I felt pretty much uncomfortable at the odd look that was settling in Xander's eyes. Not that he looked angry, pissed off or anything, I just felt different...a whole darn different.

One by one, the seniors came around me with their poised whips, alongside with the she devil herself, Sandra.

Seriously?

I prefer being in hell alone-

-not being accompanied by the devil's wife.

"Xander...I...I d-didn't mean to do umm...all that...I've been having some mis-". I whispered, afraid of what they might to do to me. To my surprise, he only squeezed my hands briefly as a response without even looking at me. It was like he was indirectly trying to say that he believes me.

I felt my cheeks burn at the gentle action and stared at him, wondering why he still would talk to me if he didn't want to.

Okay, he didn't actually talk to me, but he was still there for my safety. I always hated the way my body betrayed me everytime he touched me somehow. Instead of resisting or backing off, it danced to his tune perfectly.

"Sandra...Sandra...Sandra...It's been quite a long time we crossed paths, isn't it? I see you didn't learn your lesson the last time". Xander repeated her name with a look of disgust and flatness in his darkened eyes. "What are we to do with you now, hmm?".

Sandra just shrugged and puffed her cheeks like she was gonna explode or something. "The hell! If you touch me, you're so dead!".

"You were right about your instincts. Let's just discipline her already". Marcus suggested, making me to shiver in fear. I watched as Xander nodded and walked past my direction to their sides.

But just when Xander got close enough to me, I felt some strange instincts in me pull on some kind of an alert mode of warning, or sort of danger. What was happening to me?

I started feeling uncomfortable and uneasy too, which was strange, because I'm pretty sure I slept perfectly last night.

What's happening?

This time it isn't the hallucinations, I know it.

"C..can I..umm...use the restroom for a moment?". I stuttered in a tired tone, hoping they won't take it as anything other than mother nature's calling.

The prefects pretty much gave me a go-ahead thumbs up which made me sigh in relief.

But in Xander's case, it looked like he was either worried, or suspecting something about me, and it was then the knot in my stomach only increased more.

The prefects gave me permission and the moment I entered the bathroom, my eyes began flickering from blue to green over and over again without warning.

I suddenly felt something within me snap the moment I jolted the rest room's door.

I flinched from the painful spasms and tried my best to restrain myself from screaming. It felt like my bones were being snapped at the same time and as if the vitals inside of me were being pulled from their hold. I still gotta learn all these crazy magical thingy before I put myself in danger someday.

"I don't even know how to use it...It's not like I've ever used it either!". I paced about restlessly, trying to think about what to say and what to do. The only voice I could hear at the back of my head was 'belief, belief, belief' but no matter how I tried to do that, the clawing feeling returned and only intensified more. "I...I thought magic was something pain-free!".

I slammed my fists on the sink in fright and frustration, growling involuntarily at the blurry mirror before me.

At a moment like this, I hated to see my own reflection.

I walked back in fear when my reflection didn't follow my movements as it should normally do. Right now, it looked like my reflection had a mind of it's own to me---and began moving on it's own, staring at me menacingly.

"Oh Isabelle, you're stressing us-". The reflection yawned and began stretching her arms in a tired manner. "-don't you realise that?".

"What?".

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Are we both losing our minds? 

"It's the only reason you're holding me tonight, cause we're scared to be lonely".

Future spoiler! 😝

As usual, PLAY THE MUSIC.

Thanks for your kind words peeps, Buh-bye!

Your Writer,
TheMysticalQueen 👸.
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